Shine Brightly
It's popular today to live a trivial life and to have a trivial worldview. People are surrounded by more means of entertaining themselves than at any other time in history (television, radio, computers, malls, sports, etc.). Living a life that doesn't have much meaning or consequence is promoted in advertising. How else are companies going to sell these products that people wouldn't find much use for if they actually took life seriously ? People have to take life seriously sometimes (a death in the family, a financial problem, etc.), but they're often encouraged to avoid it as much as possible. If you want to maintain a trivial worldview, avoid difficulties, and entertain yourself, you can. You can turn on a sitcom. You can play a video game. You can go to an arts and crafts fair. You don't have to take life seriously.
There are people whose only sense of urgency in life is to get tickets for an upcoming football game, to get together and gossip with their girlfriends, or to appear "perfect" in front of their boss at work. There are people who don't contend for anything, because they don't believe in anything worth contending for. It's considered a commendable thing today to be so unconcerned with truth that you view all religions as basically the same. If you avoid trying to have an impact on the lives of other people, and you avoid exposing false belief systems for what they are, it's called "tolerance" and "respect". Taking the path of least resistance has never been so popular.
Some of you may be contending for some things or may be willing to contend for those things if you had to. For example, you might love your family enough to die for them if you had to. That's good. But, as Jesus explained, even unrepentant sinners have love for their family and friends (Matthew 5:46-47, 7:11). That isn't bad, but we should go further.
Do you believe in anything that has eternal implications? Do you believe in things that can actually change the worldview of other people for the better, that will impact future generations, and can affect how people will spend eternity after they die? ....
After you die, what will you be remembered for? How many sports statistics you had memorized? How many jokes you knew and how easily you could get people to laugh? How many cans of beer you could drink in a sitting? How well you managed your company or served tables at a restaurant? How much you were loved just because you were born into a particular family, even though you never did much else other than being born? There's a saying that's true whether you want it to be or not:
One life to live, twill soon be past; Only what's done for Jesus will last.
All of us need rest (Matthew 11:28). God allows us to be entertained and to enjoy life (Acts 14:17). There's a lot to enjoy. There's nothing wrong with humor. We should laugh sometimes. We should feed the hungry, take care of the sick, love our families, help friends, and do other things that aren't unique to Christianity. But what is unique to Christianity should always be on our hearts. At the same time that we try to feed and heal people's bodies, we should try to do the same for their souls. And Christ and His gospel will do that, not the false teachers and false gospels of Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, etc. These belief systems may offer health to the body and some health to the soul, but they also offer a lot of poison to the soul. Some of the followers of these belief systems are willing to contend for their convictions, and Christians should be contending against them.
What are you living for? Is entertaining yourself with hobbies and such something that you do on the side, just occasionally? Or is your relationship with God something that you do on the side, just occasionally? There's a dark, decaying world around us, going to Hell. Are you salt and light? ...
The prophet Daniel was told:
"those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever" - Daniel 12:3
How brightly will you shine? Labor for heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-20). Whether God gives you opportunity to do a little or a lot, be faithful with what you're entrusted with (1 Timothy 6:20). Whether you're a good influence to a few people or many, be a good influence. Don't dismiss things that seem small (Matthew 10:42, Hebrews 6:10). If you don't think you can do a lot, then start with a little and try to progress from there (Matthew 25:27). Think of what Paul was able to say at the end of a life of contending for things that were very much worth contending for:
"I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing....The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever." - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 4:18
